The photos you put in your professional home staging portfolio are among the most important photos you will ever take. Your portfolio is used to show your prospective clients what a talented home stager you are, and whoever is looking at it is expecting to see dramatic transformations to justify investing in your home staging services.
The before and after shots in this post are from a vacant room that was in very rough shape before I staged it.
At a quick glance, anyone who sees this pair of photos will understand that I know how to stage even a challenging space. That’s why this pair of before and after photos is portfolio worthy. It’s important to note also that I took the before and after staging photos from the same angle, so a prospective client will know at a glance that this is the same home, even though the actual transformation is so dramatic.
Even great home stagers can detract from their portfolios (and in turn their own image) by simply not having the basic digital photography skills to make their photos fabulous.
A good portfolio shot should demonstrate your home staging skills.
A great photo will compel people to look at it because it says something. It should be:
Through a series of blog posts, I will share some tips to dramatically improve the quality of your photos. Here’s the first:
Think before you shoot.
Get to know your camera. Take the time to set up some practice shots in your own home and experiment with shooting the same image from slightly different angles, with and without the flash, with the lights on and off, with and without a wide-angle lens, and even try standing on a chair or ladder to see how the shot will turn out.
You can also try different resolutions settings. Before shooting your image, make detailed notes to remind you later what you did. When you load the images on your computer and look at your notes you can compare what they look like on screen and when they’re printed. You’ll start to learn how your camera works and what can be accomplished by doing a couple of things differently.
There will be three more posts written on this topic – Part II will be published on Friday, January 23.
“See” you then!
Home Staging expert Debra Gould also known as The Staging Diva knows how to make money as a home stager and is determined to inspire and teach others to do the same. There are over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates who have learned to use their decorating talents and run their own home staging business in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.
[tags] Staging Diva, home staging, home staging business, home staging training, staging, stager, Debra Gould, photography tips, home staging portfolio[/tags]
Debra – Another great area of information to share tips and tricks about!! I agree with testing different shots with your camera – if you have the time. I usually shoot high contrast areas (e.g. shooting towards a window) with and without my flash to see if I need the fill – sometimes a camera set on automatic does not take the best image so I set it on manual. To try and find the time, I often do the shooting after the meeting (unless we’re making changes during the meeting) so I can do it on my time and not have to rush.
Suzanne,
Thanks so much for adding to the body of knowledge here!
I love when others contribute their ideas and comments which makes Home Staging Business Report more valuable to all.
Building on what you say, I do a lot of experimentation in my own house to get more comfortable with what my camera can do.
Thanks again!
Debra
Dear Debra,
Recently, I have been talking about the business I almost started twenty years ago, the staging business. At that time no one even heard of staging. After finding you web site I have become energised all over again. This is one of my passions, always has been. I have had two bed and breakfast homes in the past twenty years and had so much fun decorationg them.
I am looking foreward to taking your home staging quiz.
Thank you for sharing all your talents.
Tricia Stolz
bed and b
debra
Hi Tricia,
So glad I could help get you re-energized about staging since clearly you have a talent for it! I tell you there is absolutely nothing like the joy that comes from using our natural gifts to help others and earn a living at the same time. Suddenly there’s no such thing as “work” and TGIF disappears from your radar!
Looking forward to giving you all the tools you need to help you on this journey!
Debra
What camera is best to start with? Is there a particular brand that is easy to start with as well as reasonably inexpensive?
Wanda, I use a Nikon Coolpix P5100 with a wide angle lens attachment. You should visit a proper camera store and ask for advice from a knowledgeable sales person. Don’t get camera advice from someone who is just as likely to sell you a microwave oven or a big screen TV.
Hi Debra,
I’ve been taking home staging courses since January 08 and am now finally looking to go forward with my business. My thoughts are that there are a lot of home stagers out there, the home staging market is extremely saturated. How can I stand out among them all – do you have any advise? Also, what is your best advise on approaching Real Estate Agents versus home owners. P.S. I wish I had taken your course before spending money on the others.
Hi Liane, It’s a shame that the other course you took didn’t cover basics like how to market yourself. Without that key knowledge you can’t have a successful staging business no matter how talented you are.
The home staging market is not saturated at all, but it’s still important to know how to differentiate yourself from your competition. You’ll learn how to do that and more in course 4: “Staging Diva’s Sales and Marketing Secrets to Grow Your Home Staging Business.” You can get this course for only $249, an amount you should be making back within an hour (or maximum 2 hours) with a client. Learn more here:
https://stagingdiva.com/homestagingtraining.html
Great tips everyone–Thanks! I also agree that practicing with your camera is essential and besides–it’s FUN! Also, getting pointers from someone in person never hurts either!
I have an Olympus SP-57OUZ and I love it! It’s a great digital camera with a built in wide angle and many user-friendly features, which is most convienient for the novice. Costs around $400.00.
Another tip is to use a monopole (one leg rather than the three on a tripod). It can easily be held in tight places (where you or a tripod cannot fit) and costs around $20.00.